April 6, 2023 – Maundy Thursday

Lectionary Readings   -   Gathering   -  Word  -   Eucharist   -   Sending   -   Music and Art

Lectionary Readings

Exodus 12:1–4 (5–10) 11–14
Before the Exodus, the Lord gives instructions for the Passover.

Psalm 116:1–2, 12–19
What shall I return to the Lord? I will lift the cup of salvation.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Paul recounts and interprets the tradition of the Lord’s Supper.

John 13:1–17, 31b–35
Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives a new commandment.

For other resources for Maundy Thursday, see the Book of Common Worship (WJKP, 2018), pp. 276–283.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

In the waning light of the evening,
we gather to keep watch.
In this space and in our hearts,
we gather to retell this story.
In our bread and in our cup,
we remember the love of our Redeemer.

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song


Thanksgiving For Baptism

At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the mercy you so freely offer us
through the grace of our baptism—
safe passage through the sea,
justice rolling down like water,
deliverance from sin and death forever.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
teach us to love and serve you faithfully
and reconcile us to you and to one another
as members of one, living body;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession and Pardon​

At the baptismal font:
On this night as we recall Christ’s betrayal,
we remember this:
Christ broke bread with the one who would betray him.
Christ washed the feet of Judas,
that he may have a share in him.
Knowing how deep our Savior’s forgiveness runs,
let us bring our sins to God.

Humble Savior,
your words were clear:
“I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another,
just as I have loved you.”
You have loved us unfailingly, unceasingly,
and we have rejoiced in that love.
But we have not poured out on others
the love you have lavished on us.
Forgive us.
Cover us with your mercy,
and lead us once again in your ways.

Lifting water from the font:
Beloved of God, hear this good news:
even in our sin,
Christ went to conquer death on our behalf
and Christ redeems us still.
Even now, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Eternal God, by your Word and Spirit,
you have given us a new commandment:
to love and serve one another in Jesus’ name.
Let the good news of your liberating love
be sealed in our hearts and shown in our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15

After the readings:
We proclaim Christ crucified—
the wisdom and power of God.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–25

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
we bend our knees and lift up our hearts,
giving glory to God forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:9–11

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

To be reconciled to God
is to be sent into the world
as God’s reconciling community.
This community, the church universal,
is entrusted with God’s message of reconciliation
and shares God’s labor of healing the enmities
which separate people from God
and from each other.
Christ has called the church to this mission
and given it the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The church maintains continuity
with the apostles and with Israel
by faithful obedience to his call.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.31

Prayers of Intercession

In Christ Jesus, we have a great high priest
who knows our weakness and suffering;
therefore, with boldness, let us seek God’s grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With boldness, we pray for the church . . .
Keep us faithful in your new covenant
and obedient to your new commandment:
to love one another as Christ loves us.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With boldness, we pray for the earth . . .
Let these plagues of death pass over us—
gross pollution, careless consumption.
Spare the earth from destruction.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With boldness, we pray for all nations . . .
Liberate those who are enslaved and oppressed;
lead them into the land you have promised
by the grace of Jesus Christ, your holy Lamb.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With boldness, we pray for this community . . .
Teach us to take up the basin and towel,
to kneel humbly before our neighbors
and show them the great love of Christ.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

With boldness, we pray for loved ones . . .
Hear the voices of those who cry to you.
Loosen all the chains that bind them,
so that they may love and serve you with joy.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

To you, O God, we entrust these prayers,
knowing that you alone can provide
grace to help in our time of need;
in the name of our great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Savior. Amen.
Hebrews 4:14–16

— Eucharist —

Invitation to Offering

At the communion table:
Jesus says: Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Matthew 6:21

Prayer of Dedication

At the communion table:
God of grace,
you have gifted us with life in Christ.
Today we bring the gifts of our work
and the gifts of our hearts.
May all that we bring and all that we are
be your means of grace in the world,
that all people may encounter your good news. Amen.

Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
With your people Israel, we remember how you have saved us—
sheltering us from the plagues of sin and death,
leading us through the waters to deliver us.  

Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.

Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Kneeling down in humility to wash his disciples’ feet,
Jesus gave us a new commandment: to love one another.
By this love, the world will know that we are his disciples.
The words of institution are included here.

Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Help us to hand on to others what we have received from you:
the gift of your grace and the promise of salvation in Christ. 
As often as we do this, let our lives proclaim your love.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.

Lord’s Prayer

 

Breaking the Bread

 

Communion of the People

 

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

 

Prayer after Communion

We give you thanks, Holy One,
for the body and blood of our Lord,
given with love for the world.
Send us out in your Spirit
to share the good news of salvation
and give ourselves for others;
in the name of Christ our Savior. Amen.

— Sending —

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

 

Blessing and Charge

At the doors of the church:
May the steadfast love of God,
the abundant grace of Jesus Christ,
and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you this day and always. Amen.
Psalm 51:1, 11

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
If any wish to be my disciples
let them take up the cross
and follow me. Amen.
Mark 8:34

“Last Supper”

George Saget, 1963

Additional Materials

Congregational Song

GATHERING

  • An Upper Room Did Our Lord Prepare (G) O WALY, WALY GTG 202, PH 94
  • Take Us as We Are, O God (E) ENDLESS FEAST GTG 312
  • What Is This Place (E) KOMT NU MET ZANG GTG 404
  • Friend to Friend (G) FRIEND STB 244

WORD

  • A Prophet-Woman Broke a Jar (G) HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING GTG 201
  • Before I Take the Body of My Lord (E) LAYING DOWN GTG 428
  • Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (G) CHEREPONI GTG 203, PH 367
  • My Lord and Master (Before the Cross) (G) VESTAVIA Rejoice in God, K. Lee Scott, MSM

EUCHARIST

  • This Is the Night (G) MY NEIGHBOR GTG 206
  • Bread of the World in Mercy Broken (E) RENDEZ À DIEU GTG 499, PH 502
  • Sharing Paschal Bread and Wine (G) TENEBRAE GTG 207
  • Somos pueblo que camina / We Are People on a Journey (OG) SOMOS PUEBLE SSS 683

SENDING

  • Stay with Me (G) STAY WITH ME GTG 204
  • Lord, You Give the Great Commission (E) ABBOT’S LEIGH GTG 298, PH 429
  • When at This Table (G) FEASTDAY GTG 537
  • The Bond of Love (G) BOND OF LOVE AAHH 521

Psalms and Canticles

Metrical

  • What Shall I Render to the Lord [MARTYRDOM, ROCKINGHAM, MORNING SONG/CONSOLATION]; GTG 655, PH 228, PAS 116B, LUYH 871, PP 218
    (with refrain)
  • I Love You, Lord [GENEVAN 116]; PAS 116A, LUYH 735
  • We Love You Lord [CMD]; SGP 170
  • I Love the Lord Because He Heard [DETROIT, NEW FENWICK]; KU 70, TTSF 70

Responsorial

  • I Love the Lord, Who (He) Heard My Cry [I LOVE THE LORD (Smallwood)]; PAS 116D; LUYH 152, SSS 343–344
  • I Love the Lord; He Is Filled with Compassion [I LOVE THE LORD (Aquino)]; LUYH 819
  • I Will Call upon the Name of the Lord [LET US BREAK BREAD]; HTP1 116
  • I Will Take Up the Cup of Salvation; SP 50
  • Demos gracias / Let Us Give Thanks; SSS 160–161 (refrain only)

Organ Music

  • “Passion,” op. 145, no. 4, HERZLIEBSTER JESU, Max Reger, public domain (M)
  • “My Heart Is Filled with Longing,” HERZLIEBSTER JESU, Johannes Brahms, public domain (M)
  • “Where True Love and Charity Are Found,” UBI CARITAS, Augsburg Organ Library: Lent, Marilyn Biery, AF (ME)

Anthems for Adult Choirs

  • “A New Commandment,” David Barton, AF, SATB, keybd (ME)
  • “Psalm 116,” Jim Taylor, HIN, SATB, pno, vln or ob, opt org (M)
  • “See What Love,” Felix Mendelssohn, AF, SATB, keybd (M)
  • “Un Mandamiento Nuevo,” Tony Alonso, GIA, 3 pt, keybd, gtr, cantor, cong (ME)
  • “I Love the Lord,” David Conte, ECS, SATB, org (MA)
  • “I Love the Lord,” Richard Smallwood, Musicnotes, SAT, pno (M)
  • “A New Commandment,” Thomas Tallis, ed. Brook Carter Larson, AL, SATB, acap (M)
  • “Ubi Caritas,” Bob Moore, GIA, SAB, pno (E)
  • “See What Love (Hath the Father Given Us),” Lena McLin, KJO, SATB, keybd (M)
  • “Drop, Drop, Slow Tears,” Orlando Gibbons, arr. Peter Paul Olejar, MSM, SATB, hb or pno (ME)

Handbell Music

  • “An Upper Room Did Our Lord Prepare,” Barbara Baltzer Kinyon, 3–5 oct, opt 2–3 oct hc,
    LOR 20/1059L, Level 2
  • “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love,” Michael Helman, 3–5 oct, opt 3 oct hc, AF, 11-11025,
    Level 3
  • “Gethsemane,” Nancy Hascall, 3–5 oct, opt 2 oct hc, RRM, RRBL5022, Level 3

Art

  • Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet, Ford Madox Brown, London (VDL)
  • Washing of the Feet, John August Swanson (VDL)
  • Last Supper, Father George Saget, 1963 (VDL)
  • Holy Thursday, Jan Richardson (JR)